Bearing



Nov. 1o, 193'6. G, W- ALLEN y2,060,651

BEARING Filed April 11, 1956 13 Tnt/enfer GEO/@G5 W. /lLLE/v b J: GDM @wow/16g Patented Nov. 10, 1936 UNITED STATES BEARING George W. Allen, Hyde lPark, Boston, Mass., asf f signor to B. F. Sturtevant Company, Boston,

Application April 1l, 1936, Serial No. 73,906

3 Claims. (Cl. 30s-36.4)I

This invention relates to lbearings and relates more particularly to bearings of the type which include oil circulatory systems.

The bearings, according to this invention, ywere V5 developed for supporting the rotary shafts of power-driven brushes for vacuum sweepers, but,

of course, are capable of being used for other purposes.

It is desirable for power-drivenA brushes for vacuum sweepers, to provide dust-proof bearings which will not leak oil and which may be provided with stored lubricant suliicient for a con` According to this inventionymeans is provided for stopping the oil which has crept along the y shaft of the arrangement described in the preceding paragraph, andfor recirculating this oil back to the storage reservoir including the aforementioned felt Washers.

An object of this invention is to provide a long life, non-leaking bearing for rotary shafts.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a sealed bearing, an oil circulatory system.

Another object of the invention is to return toa bearing, the oil that has leaked therefrom along the 'rotary shaft for which the bearing 'is provided.

, Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken together with the drawing. The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing, of which:

Fig. 1 is a front view with a portionin section of a vacuum sweeper having a power driven brush with which the bearings according to this invention, are used;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged end view with end removed, ofthe brush suspension of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is ari-enlarged sectional view through one end of the brush and one bearing of the arrangement of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 lsan enlarged plan view looking at one end of the brush arrangement of Fig. 1, from 1 underneath; and n Fig. 5 is a projected view of the oil porous bearing utilized, and ci the felt member with extensions utilized in one embodiment; of the j invention to t over the bearing to recirculate the oil leaking from the bearing.

The brush 6 is adapted to be rotated -by the blower motor of the sweeper by means of La belt 5 around the pulley 1. The shaft 8 of the brush is supported at both ends by similar bearings, the details of one of which are shown by Figs. 3 and 5.v

The bearing assembly is made up -of the bear- 10 ing 9 which may-be of a bronze composition which is porous to oil but sufficiently hard to provide a good wearing surface in contact with the shaft 8. Over the cylindrical portion I0 of the bearing are fitted the three felt washers II which 15 a long period of time for the bearing. The bearing has a flange portion I2 with the four grooves I3. AroundA the cylinder I0- is also placed a felt member which has the portion I4 similar to the 20 washers II but which is provided with the four tongue like extensions I5 which extend through the grooves I3, inwardly as shown by Fig. 3 to a point inside of the ange I6 on the thrust bushing I1 of the shaft 8. I 25 Closely fitted around the inner portion of the bushing, I'I is the end cap I8 ofthe bearing housing I9. This end cap has 'twointerior stepped portions within the smaller-of which is placed the oil retaining felt washer 20 and within the 30 larger of which is placed the metal washer ZI which ts against the inner edge of the housying I9.

'I'he extensions I5 of the member Il'extend through the' grooves I3 into the spaces between 35 the inner end of the bearing portion 9` and the iiange I6,- and between the iiange I6 and the metal washer 2|. If these extensions or tongues I5 were not so provided and placed, the oil from the felt washers around the sleeve portion I0 40 of the bearing, would during the rotation of the shaft 8, pass through the bearing and creep along the shaft until practically all of it had been drained .from the reservoir including the felt A washers? some of the 011 thus1eaking from the 45' bearing would'eventually pass the washers 20 and 2l and the cap I8 and be absorbed by the wooden frame within the sweeper cylinder IlV The tongues I5 are seen to be in position to receive the oil thrown off by the flange I6 during rotation thereof, and to return itto the felt washers comprising an oil reservoir, around the oil sleeve IIl of the bearing. Thus an oil circulating system is provided which results in a bearing 56 arrangement which need not be replenished with lubricant over long periods oi time. The bearing housing I9 Ais tted with the rubber member 22 which provides a resilient mounting for the bearing, and which is held between the straight leg 23. and the turned in clip-like leg 25 forming a yielding support, of the bracket 24. The bracket 2l is mounted at 26 to the end wall of the sweeper. The screw 21 is adjustable in the bracket 24 to provide at its lower end, an adjustable stop for properly positioning the rubber member 22. f

As may be clearly seen from Figs. 2 and 4, the brush cylinder 6 may be easily inserted within the nozzle of the sweeper by forcing the rubber members 22 at each end against the pressure oi! the spiing member 25, within the bracket 24.

Whereas one embodiment of the invention has been described for the purpose of illustration, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact arrangement described, since vmany departures will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art after having had access to this disclosure.

What is claimed is:

1. A bearing assembly comprising in combination, a rotary shaft, an oil porous bearing around the outer portion of said shaft, an oil reservoir, a plurality of oil absorbing rings in said reservoir and in contact with said bearing for supplying oil to the surface of said bearing, and an oil absorbing ring around said shaft at the inner portion of said bearing, said ring having a pluraiity of tongue like extensions extending over said shaft beyond said bearing for receiving the oil thrown out of said bearing by said shaft and for returning it to said absorbing material in said reservoir.

2. A bearing assembly comprising in combination, a rotary shaft, an oil porous bearing member having a flange at its inner end around the outer portion of said shaft, an oil reservoir containing oil absorbing material in contact with saidmember, for supplying oil to the surface of said member, a flange on said shaft adjacent said flange on said member, and an oil absorbing ring in said reservoir having a plurality of arms extending around said ilanges for receiving the oil thrown off by said last mentioned flange and for returning it to said absorbing material in said reservoir. Y

3. A bearing assembly comprising in comblnation, a rotary shaft, an oil porous bearing member having a ange having a plurality of grooves at its inner end around the outer portion .of said shaft, an oil reservoir containing oil absorbing material for supplying oil to the surface of said member, a flange on said shaft adjacent said flange on said member, and oil absorbing means extending through said grooves, around said ange on said shaft and into said reservoir for receiving the oil thrown off by said ange and for returning it to said absorbing material in said reservoir.

GEORGE W. ALLEN. 

